Xbox 360 players planning to lace up in Lara Croft's skin-tight boots this November can look forward to a double helping of new content even after the final credits roll by. Eidos announced that it has inked a deal with Microsoft to release two additional chapters to Tomb Raider: Underworld, offering some six additional hours of raiding tombs, or at least what passes for tombs these days.

The first bit of DLC, ominously titled Beneath the Ashes, will debut this Christmas, adding a new area and enemies as well as a continuation of Underworld's story. The second, dubbed Lara's Shadow, promises "a new kind of playable character," leaving us wondering if Lara been drinking from the Phazon pool again? Eidos bills the new content as "exclusive" to Xbox Live Marketplace, though we'll at least try to feign surprise should similar content make its way to other platforms as well.

LucasArts' big farewell to game development continues this week with the release of terraforming actioner Fracture. Is it as exciting as a terraforming motorcycle? It is not. But if you're looking for action this week, it's pretty much the best you're going to do.

If you're a sports fan though, you've got a double dribble of b-ball action with NBA Live 2009 and NBA 2K9 (thank goodness they're in the same week too, because we just used up all of the basketball lingo at our disposal). Check out the full list after the break.

The first two (of five) reminders that Mega Man 9 is not a retro title -- also known as premium downloadable content -- is available now on WiiWare and will be coming to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively (via press release). As previously noted, you can expect Endless Attack (300 Nintendo points) and Proto Man (200 NPs) this week. Proto Man has a charge shot, slide and a reflective shield, but he also takes double damage and is knocked back twice as far.

The remaining DLC -- Hero, Super and Special modes -- are expected October 20 for WiiWare, with the XBLA/PSN content presumably coming the same week.

Let me begin by apologizing for the hasty nature of the announcement of my being chosen as the running mate for the honorable Weekly Webcomic Wrapup. What my fine, fellow feature lacks in clarity and eloquence, he more than makes up for with sheer enthusiasm. Perhaps this is why he, with wisdom acquired during his three years of publication, chose me as his running mate -- to balance his passion with my own levelheadedness. In that respect, I am more than glad to play the Abbot to his Costello, the Brain to his Pinky, and the Linnell to his Flansburgh.

With that bit of business out of the way, I'd like to talk to you about why you should support a WWW/JHS ticket for the office of King and Queen Vice-King of the Internets. As you know, the Internets is a big place that requires a great deal of regulation from its executive officers. While the current administration has adopted a laissez-faire approach to their prestigious post, our leadership would provide a much needed repaving of the information superhighway -- for starters, all domain names will be required to end with ".fun". Not only will it simplify the Internets navigation process, but it may just bring a smile to the face of the typical, hard-hearted Internets user.

Our other major platforms include:

• Stronger punitive measures against the proliferation of Rick Astley songs
• Energy conservation through the deactivation of the Internets at 11 p.m. every night
  
• Free candy for supporters

So, when Election Day rolls around, won't you consider the benefits of a Weekly Webcomic Wrapup/Japanese Hardware Sales administration? Our change will be swift, our policies fair, and our candy delicious.

- DS Lite: 57,847 3,395 (5.54%)
- Wii: 26,314 3,607 (12.06%)
- PSP: 25,671 3,003 (10.47%)
- Xbox 360: 11,291 2,486 (18.04%)
- PS2: 9,848 2,128 (27.56%)
- PS3: 8,275 119 (1.46%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: www.archives.fun

It's difficult for us to get excited about anything nowadays unless it includes some method of bolstering our confidence in our own talents. Imagine our delight when we read a recent Rock Band forum post by a Harmonix employee, who confirmed that the recently announced Rock Band 2 AC/DC track pack will have its own unique Achievements/Trophies. While the logistics of how this will work are hazy (will they be added to the pre-existing awards of Rock Band 2, or only be accessible from the AC/DC disc?), we can't wait to see how our duck walk stacks up to Angus Young's.

As the fall update and accompanying New Xbox Experience creep ever closer to our purring, anticipatory 360s, further details about the renovated dashboard continue to surface -- the latest of these is a sneak peek at how the Games Store will function under the NXE, courtesy of Xbox community site Gamerscore Blog.

To put it simply, the new Games Store will provide every game with its own comprehensive page, complete with tabs displaying screenshots, trailers, information about the title, and all available downloads pertaining to the game. If that made little to no sense, they've got a more detailed rundown on Gamerscore Blog -- but it finally seems like we won't have to search through an ocean of DLC to find those Bomberman: Act Zero gamerpics we've been coveting for oh-so-long.

We were awakened last night by a terrible din -- a wailing which echoed through our streets like a funeral dirge. The sound poured from nearby houses; voices making slightly varied proclamations with a singular theme. In near-unison, they pierced the night: "WHERE IS MASTER CHIEF?", "WHY NO LASER SWORDS?", and, perplexingly, "GEOFF KEIGHLEY, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH CORTANA?"

These confused souls were reacting to the cinematic trailer for Ensemble Studios' swan song, Halo Wars, which debuted on GameTrailers TV last night. For those who were laying eyes upon the title for the first time, we can understand any resulting bewilderment. The trailer (which we've posted after the break) is excellent, though it boldly lacks the things players love about the series to date -- including any sign of returning characters, or any heinous acts of postmortem facial desecration.

Tucked away in the dark, at the far back of E for All is a fair-sized Gears of War 2 booth with many stations showing off the Horde mode, and handing out COG tags. However, these are fairly normal sized tags, about the size of a dollar coin. So what's up with this image of a giant COG that looks like it could serve as Sauron's ring?

We asked one of the community managers at the GoW2 booth, and he said, "Wait... did you see this image recently? A huge COG tag that's thick and made out of metal? Yeah, there's a big announcement about that coming out. I can't say anything about it really, but keep watching the website all weekend. And no, it's not something you can buy. It's made of metal, is thick, and weighs about two pounds."

Is Epic hiding these in the world somewhere, and there's a contest to find them? Are they items you can win based on your in-game performance like those rings they added to Madden? Is it just a huge paperweight? We'll keep watching the site, which yesterday put up a blurb about COGs. How convenient. What do you think it is?

[Via JoystickWidow]

Chris Redfield can look forward to aerating the not-quite-undead with a conveniently placed shotgun in Resident Evil 5. However, he won't have to worry about uncovering the African village's lone typewriter in order to record his progress in the event an errant bite finds its mark.

1UP reports that the upcoming horror-cum-action game will forego the series' previous means of saving games using typewriters, and will instead feature "a combination of checkpoints and chapters." This according to RE5 producer Jun Takeuchi, who admits that he 'really likes' typewriters, though we imagine he has no love lost for tradition. We'll fight back the tears as we pour over these latest screens. Typewriter, we'll miss you.

[Via X3F]

Gallery: Resident Evil 5 (10-03-2008)

They said it was impossible. They pointed and laughed, and called it names. But, just as Batman's license holders have every right to pit him in a crossover battle against an alien hunter will dreadlocks, they may also call upon the Dark Knight to beat a fire-burping, undead ninja within an inch of its tortured life -- just as long as he doesn't go that extra inch, ya know? (Off topic: So is Two-Face dead or what?) Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is very real folks, and here's the box art to prove it:

The tidal wave of Rock Band DLC doesn't stop as Harmonix tries to hit the 500 tracks available mark (RB, RB2, DLC) by year's end. Here's nine more songs being added next week for your DLC consideration:

The Offspring (440 / $5.50)

• "Gone Away" - The Offspring (160 / $2)
• "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" - The Offspring (160 / $2)
• "Self Esteem" - The Offspring (160 / $2)

Individual songs:

• "Stop!" - Against Me! (160 / $2)
• "All Right Now" - Free (160 / $2)
• "Bad to the Bone" - George Thorogood and the Destroyers (160 / $2)
• "Cream & Bastards Rise" - Harvey Danger (160 / $2)
• "Nearly Lost you" - Screaming Trees (160 / $2)
• "Push It" - Static-X (160 / $2)

Videos for these songs can be found after the break. The tracks will be available for download next Tuesday and Thursday for Xbox 360 and PS3, respectively.

EA Sports announced today that Madden NFL 09 Pink will be sold at Target, with a portion of the proceeds from the sale going to the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation. The box will be available during the month of October (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month) and can also be purchased at Target.com and NFLShop.com.

We called EA Sports to find out how this "new" art still has Favre in his Packers uniform. Turns out the pink ribbon design is actually part of a clear overlay inside the cover. Meaning, consumers can completely remove it if they want, or place the Favre Jets cover in behind it. Behold, the freedom of choice.

Square Enix's The Last Remnant will be available in a special edition Xbox 360 bundle when it launches Nov. 20 in Japan. The box comes with the standard stuff, but includes DVD remote, game, faceplate and soundtrack CD for around $331 - the bundle saves about $30 off the cost of the standalone game plus system.

As Microsoft reaches for the million Xbox 360 sold mark in Japan, we're already prepared for another sales surge anomaly when The Last Remnant releases late next month. We've seen Microsoft's console receive a sales spike twice recently with exclusive JRPG releases of Tales of Vesperia and Infinite Undiscovery. However, unlike those other titles, The Last Remnant is not an Xbox 360 exclusive and will be available on PS3 at a later date.

[Via Siliconera]

Vicious Cycle Software and D3Publisher have decided it's time to poke fun at our beloved (but grizzled!) space marines, revealing the first, scant details of their upcoming Xbox 360 and PS3 shooter, Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard. According to the press release, the award-winning writer behind Dead Head Fred, Dave Ellis, came up with the whole shebang-bang-bang.

As you might expect from a modern third-person shooter -- even a humorous one -- Eat Lead will employ a cover system (dubbed "point and cover") and "different interactive melee moves." Provided the game remembers that taking potshots at the genre doesn't exclude it from being judged as a shooter, The Return of Matt Hazard in Q1 2009 may just be welcomed. In fact, we're just about ready to join Matt's appropriately and believably terrible fansite.

Those who purchase Gears of War 2 will receive a code in the box to download the "Flashback" map pack from XBM for free. The pack contains visually upgraded versions of original Gears maps: Canals, Gridlock, Subway, Mansion and Tyro Station. This means Gears fans will have 15 total multiplayer maps to practice their chainsawdomy at launch.

GamePro has also learned that a code to download the in-game gold-plated Hammerburst will be given out at "Midnight Madness" launch events for the game on Nov. 6. Epic allegedly has no plans to offer the Flashback maps or the special Hammerburst as DLC at this time.

[Via X3F]